Imagine trying to keep a giant swimming pool of liquid hydrogen freezing cold so it doesn't evaporate. Current methods are like building a custom, expensive thermos that takes years to make and must be a perfect sphere. This project creates a modular 'vacuum panel' system that acts like high-tech Lego blocks, making tanks cheaper, faster to build, and any shape you need.
Current large-scale liquid hydrogen storage is too expensive, takes years to build, and is limited to spherical shapes that waste space. There is a critical lack of scalable, cost-effective insulation for tanks larger than 40,000 m³.
A modular thermal insulation concept based on Vacuum Insulation Panels (VIP) for cryogenic tanks, validated through modelling and testing.
If you are a shipbuilder dealing with the low payload capacity of spherical tanks — this project developed a modular insulation concept that allows for different tank shapes, potentially increasing payload by up to 65% compared to current spherical designs.
If you are a terminal operator dealing with the prohibitive costs and years-long construction times of large storage — this project developed VIP insulation that can be produced 10-times faster and costs about 80% less.
If you are a manufacturer dealing with low failure tolerance and quality assurance issues in large tanks — this project developed a modular open-form insulation system that increases failure tolerance and simplifies the production chain.
The project aims to develop insulation concepts that can result in about 80% lower costs compared to current technologies.
Yes, the technology is specifically designed for large-scale tanks with capacities ranging from 40,000 m³ to more than 200,000 m³.
Based on available project data, the project is in the research and development phase (SIGNED status), and specific licensing terms are not yet listed.
The new design concepts are expected to be produced about 10-times faster than current process chains.
The use of LH2 enables the cost-efficient reuse of existing Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) infrastructure for hydrogen transport and storage.
The consortium is purely academic and research-driven, consisting of 5 partners from 4 countries (DE, EL, IT, NO). With 3 universities and 2 research organizations and 0% industry representation, the project is currently focused on fundamental technical validation and conceptual design rather than immediate commercial deployment.
Contact BUNDESANSTALT FUER MATERIALFORSCHUNG UND -PRUEFUNG in Germany
Contact us to track the transition of this VIP insulation concept from lab to industrial pilot.
